Sammy Hagar had been playing music and making records for over a decade before he replaced David Lee Roth to become the frontman for Van Halen. He’d been in a couple of bands but went solo in 1976, according to his website, Red Rocker. Maybe it was the solo thing, maybe it was his capable pipes, maybe it was his reputation for being laid back, but according to Hagar, he’s been asked to join a few different bands besides Van Halen over the years. 

It’s no secret that rock band relationships can be, well, rocky. So it stands to reason that from time to time a successful band needs a new singer. From what Hagar says, he’s been approached by several bands in need of a frontman. In 2011 he told Forbes that over the years he’s been invited to join Mötley Crüe, Pantera, Velvet Revolver, and Aerosmith. 

But Hagar said some singers are harder to replace than others, and in the case of frontman Steven Tyler, he said because the band had been together for 40 years when they asked him to replace Tyler after one of the bands many falling outs, “you don’t want to walk into something like that … it’s always been Steven at the front of Aerosmith. You don’t replace that.” 

But that wasn’t his only reason. Years later he would say more about it to Ultimate Classic Rock. 

Sammy Hagar didn't want to be known as 'guy who replaced the guy'

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